1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a barcode creation apparatus, a barcode creation method and program, and more particularly to a barcode creation apparatus, a barcode creation method and program which create two-dimensional barcodes, one-dimensional barcodes, and other barcodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
One-dimensional barcodes and two-dimensional barcodes are used widely.
For example, a two-dimensional barcode called a QR code (registered trademark) has a square external shape, and represents information by positioning a plurality of black and white cells, which are the smallest units, in a two-dimensional matrix within the square shape. Furthermore, a QR code (registered trademark) can be read out quickly by providing a position determination pattern (referred to as called a locator symbol, or finder pattern) at three of the four corners of the square shape and arranging a timing pattern in the two-dimensional bar code, between these position determination patterns.
In such a two-dimensional barcode, it is possible to write a larger amount of information into a single barcode in comparison with a one-dimensional barcode. Therefore, the two-dimensional barcodes are used to write and read various types of information, such as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), electronic mail address, sound information, text, and the like, rather than simple number sequences.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-67191 discloses a method which multimedia information consisting of text, sound, and images is recorded and reproduced in the form of a two-dimensional color barcode. For example, the 3-bit sequences “100”, “000”, “011”, “110”, “101”, “111”, . . . of multimedia information comprising a text bit sequence “100111 . . . ”, a sound bit sequence “001101 . . . ” and an image bit sequence “001011 . . . ”, is printed in the form of a two-dimensional color barcode comprising bits of respective colors, namely, “red”, “purple”, “green”, “black”, “white”, “brown”, and so on, in accordance with a correspondence table (i.e. the table indicates respective correspondences between the bit sequences and colors; for instance, “100” corresponds to “red”, “000” corresponds to “purple”, “011” corresponds to “green”, “110” corresponds to “black”, “101” corresponds to “white” and “111” correspond to “brown”). A color barcode printed in this way is read out in by a special reproduction apparatus which is capable of restoring the three types of information, namely the text, sound, and images.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-56352 discloses a method in which a barcode is created by encoding the message into a two-dimensional bit pattern and embedding it into the half-tone logo according to the acquired message and logo. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-203196 discloses a barcode in which the external appearance thereof can be set freely to a round shape, a square shape, a triangular shape, or the like.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-50500 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-212611 disclose a barcode in which the external appearance thereof is formed into a picture, such as a tree, or fish.
However, since a barcode such as a QR code (registered trademark) is formed with a uniform external shape which is previously determined such as a square shape, and is printed in the form of black and white bars or cells, it is not possible to identify the type or the purpose according to information that has been written into the barcode, unless that barcode is read in. In particular, if only a barcode is printed, then it is not possible for the user to understand what it represents. Furthermore, design incompatibilities also arise with respect to the object into which the barcode is to be embedded. Therefore, the barcode is liable to acquire an image that is unattractive to the user, and it becomes difficult to entice the user to actually attempt to read the barcode into a terminal device.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-203196, the external appearance of the barcode can be set freely. However, if the external appearance has been changed freely, the barcode does not comply with the specifications relating to existing two-dimensional barcodes such as QR codes (registered trademark), and then a terminal device is not able to read in the two-dimensional barcodes.
Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-67191, with the objective of recording multimedia information efficiently, respective bit sequences of multimedia information are printed as color bits corresponding to those bit sequences. Therefore, it still remains impossible to identify what type of information is contained in the barcode, unless it is attempted to read in a barcode.